Game apparatus



Deco 17, E. HINES GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 51, 1959 INVENTOR.

BY 25 ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME APPARATUS Emery Hines, Bloomfield, N. J. Application January 31, 1939, Serial No. 253,749

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to game apparatus and particularly to such apparatus which may be readily transported and set-up in any desired location for amusement purposes.

More specifically, the present invention contemplates an apparatus simulating a foot ball field, a basket ball court, a base ball diamond, or

the like, that can be placed in any room in the home or a public place of amusement and relaxation, by which a player, regardless of sex or age, may test his skill. Many devices of a similar nature are well known in the art. However, such games are inmost instances restricted in their use to rooms of comparatively large area such as gymnasiums or the like and since a thrown or batted ball is used in playing the game precaution must be taken to' prevent damage to surrounding furnishings and the, like, due to rebound or deflection of the playing ball.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a game apparatus wherein a playing implement, such as a ball or the like, is batted or otherwise propelled toward a playing field and wherein the field is so constructed as to absorb the impact to prevent rebound or deflection of the playing implement.

Another object of provision of a game apparatus which may be readily transported and set up in any room of the homeor public amusement place and wherein the playing field is yieldable upon impact of the playing implement to prevent rebound or deflection thereof in the event such implement is not caught by the apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a game apparatus'of a portable nature which may be readily erected in any desired room either in the home or a public amusement parlor and wherein a yieldable playing field is employed to prevent rebound of the playing implement with possible resulting damage in the event the implement is not deposited by a player in, a receptable forming a part of the playing field.

' A further object of the present invention is the provision of a game apparatus such as a base ball game wherein a playing field is provided simulating a diamond having small baskets or nets at preselected positions indicative of scoring and the player bats a ball toward the diamond with the latter being yieldable to absorb the impact is not deposited in one of the nets.

Still further objects of the, present invention will become obvious to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawing where- Figure 1 is a front elevational view of one em- 'bodiment which the present invention may take the present invention is the.

of the batted ball to prevent rebound if the ball with part of the apparatus broken away to better illustrate the same,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational of the apparatus as shown in Fig. 1 with a part thereof broken away,

Fig. 3 Ba rear elevational view of the apparatus of Fig. 1,

' Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view taken on the lineIV-IV of Fig. 1 showing the manner of attaching the baskets or nets to the apparatus, and

Fig. 5 is a-perspective view of one of the nets or baskets.

Referringnow to the .drawing in detail the ap paratus shown in Fig. 1 comprises a playing field in the form of a curtain 5 which may be of cloth or similar material. the curtain ispainted or stenciled. to represent either a foot ball field, a basket ball court, or, as shown in'Fig. 1, .it may simulate a base ball diamond 6. Disposed at preselected locations about the diamond are a plurality of baskets or netsl, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5, which project outwardly from thefront surface of the curtain and immediately above or below each net adesignationll is printed, painted or stenciled, as shown in. Fig. 1, indicative of scoring and by which the skill of a player can be determined.

As will be noted from Figs. 1 to 3 the sides and top of .the curtain 5 converge slightly inward to form side barriers and at the bottom of the curtain for its full widthit turns outwardly and upwardly to thus form a trough 9. A player using a suitable bat orpaddle (not shown) knocks a playing implement, such as a ball H] which may be rubber or a hollow ping pong ball toward the playing field drawn out on the curtain, the object being to deposit the driven (or thrown) ball in one of the baskets l. The score of each player is determined by the designation appearing immediately below each basket or net 1 into which the propelled ball finally comes to rest as can be seen in Fig. 2. In the event the ball misses all of the nets 1 it will gravitate into the trough 9 which itself is indicativeof some penalty such as a strike, as shown in Fig. 1.

Because the playing field comprises a suspended curtain 5 it is accordingly yieldable so as to absorb the impact of the playing implement or ball ill with the result that there is no rebound or deflection of the ball which might otherwiseresult in damage to surrounding furnishings. Al-

though by the utilization of a curtain 5 the apparatusmay be readily suspended from a ceiling or wall molding, a frame is preferably provided to facilitate transporting the apparatus from place to place and the rapidity with which it may be set up for play. Y

As shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3 the frame l2 may-be of substantially rectangular configuration and provided with a series of horizon-,, tally: disposed cross-ties 35 A pair of angula-rly The front surface of extending braces l4 and I 5 are rigidly secured to the top of the frame l2 and at their outer extremity are fastened to the curtain in any suitable manner, such as by a combination of a wingnut and bolt passing through an eyelet or washer l6 provided in the curtain 5.

In a similar manner the bottom of the curtain 5, as well as the trough 9, is held in place by a pair of angularly extending braces I! and I8 which project from the sides of the frame I2 and which may also be connected to the curtain by the eyelet and wing-nut and bolt combination I6. To hold the frame l2 in an upright position during play a supporting leg I9 is hinged to the upper portion of the frame and as shown in Fig. 2 may be held in place by a hook and eye fitting 20.

In order to hold the curtain in the desired shape and spaced from the frame to increase its yieldability a bolt 22 is provided at each point where the converging top and sides intersect the plane of the vertical portion or surface of the curtain and a pair'of coil springs 23 (Fig. 2) may be employed to apply a slight tension to assist in holding the curtain in the desired shape. To still further maintain the spacing and yieldability of the curtain 5 and at the same time support the baskets or nets 1, a plurality of bolts 24 are rigidly secured at preselected locations to the frame l2 and cross-ties l3.

These bolts 24, as shown more in detail in Fig. 4, are provided with a longitudinal bore 25 of a depth sufficient to accommodate the extending portions 26 of the frame work of the baskets or nets 1 and these nets once in place may be secured by a set screw 21. Also to prevent tearing of the curtain 5 at the point where the extensions 26 of the net frame-work pass therethrough, suitable washers 28 may be positioned each side of the curtain and in addition small clips 29 may be employed to maintain the curtain in contact with the bottom of the net frame-work thus precluding the propelled ball from slipping between the nets 1 and the curtain 5 without being caught in the net, due to the yieldability of the curtain 5.

It will thus become obvious to those slnlled in the art that a game apparatus, such as a baseball game or the like, is herein provided which may be readily transported and positioned in any room of the home or public amusementparlor for the enjoyment of young and old regardless of sex. Moreover, by the utilization of a playing field in the form of a curtain which is yieldable to absorb the shock of impact, rebound or deflection of the propelled ball or playing implement, is eliminated which might otherwise cause damage to surrounding furnishings.

Although one specific embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described it is to be understood that other modifications of the same may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims:

1. A game apparatus comprising a curtain having a simulation of a preselected playing field on its surface and provided with a trough at the bottom and extending the full width of the curtain, means for supporting said curtain in a substantially vertical position to enable a player to propel a playing implement toward said playing field, a plurality of nets open at one side projecting outwardly from the surface of said' playing field indicative of designated scoring and into which a player endeavors to deposit said propelled playing implement depending upon his skill, means for maintaining said curtain in spaced relation to said supporting means to render said curtain yieldable to absorb the impact of said propelled playing implement to prevent rebound or deflection thereof, and said nets being secured to said curtain to form an end wall therefor to prevent the yieldability of said ourtain allowing the passage of said propelled playing implement therebetween and without being deposited in said nets.

2. A game apparatus comprising a supporting frame adapted to be positioned substantially vertical, a curtain suspended in spaced relation to said frame to enable said curtain to yield in the direction of said frame to absorb the impact of a playing implement propelled by a player toward a preselected simulating playing field inscribed on the surface of said curtain opposite to said frame, means secured to said frame and projecting laterally therefrom to maintain said curtain in spaced relation to said frame and render said curtain yieldable, and a plurality of nets indicative of designated scoring secured to said laterally projecting means and extending outwardly from the playing field surface of said curtain in staggered relationship and into which a player endeavors to deposit said propelled playing implement depending upon his skill.

3. A game apparatus comprising a supporting frame adapted to be positioned substantially vertical, a curtain suspended in spaced relation to said frame to enable said curtain to yield in the direction of said frame to absorb the impact and prevent rebound or deflection of a ball batted by a player, and said curtain having its sides and top converging in the direction of the plane of its vertical surface to form barriers and provided with a playing field simulating a baseball diamond inscribed on its surface opposite to said frame and toward which the player bats a ball, a plurality of hollow laterally projecting members secured to said frame for maintaining said ourtain in spaced relation to said frame to render said curtain yieldable, and a plurality of nets indicative of designated scoring projecting outwardly from said curtain at preselected positions on the diamond and telescopically engaging said hollow projecting members and into which the player endeavors to drive the ball depending upon his skill.

4. A game apparatus comprising a supporting frame adapted to be positioned substantially vertical, a curtain suspended in spaced relation to said'frame to enable said curtain to yield in the direction of said frame to absorb the impact and prevent rebound or deflection of a ball batted by a player, and said curtain having its sides and top converging in the direction of the plane of its vertical surface to form barriers and provided with a playing field simulating a baseball diamond inscribed on its surface opposite to said frame and toward which the player bats a ball, a plurality of nets indicative of designatedscoring projecting outwardly from said curtain atpreselected positions on the diamond and secured to said frame and into which the player endeavors to drive the ball depending upon his skill, a trough at the bottom of said curtain and extending the full width thereof for the reception of batted ballsfailing to be deposited in one of said nets and indicative of a scoring penalty against the player, and fasteners for securing the bottom of said nets to said curtain to prevent a batted ball passing therebetween without lodging in one of said nets due to the yieldability of said curtain.

' EMERY I-IINES. 

